Holy Mama! That is one amazingly awesome Distillate... Mine is shy now... Congratulations!! I agree Olie, that is one nice rig, but as a Brazilian that only sees limited equipment here, I'm not aware of these Bag End cabs... Are they really worth a look? Well done man, you've got the right stuff!

I'd like to see a close up of the bass, it looks awesome in this picture. I'm afraid next month when I fly up to the Chicago Gathering I may need to leave my wallet at home. (Bag End is hosting). Worth a look and a listen Greg. Good stuff!

Olie, advice taken!! I will check them right away, but just after I've hidden my credit card some where I'm not aware off!! Man, I wished I lived in the US to get together with you guys on these Gatherings... Must be awesome!

Thanks to all of you and your comments! I have been trying to figure out how to post these photos for a few weeks now. I'm more of a player than computer wiz! Anyway,You are right about the 2X15" I Use them on occasion. Actually I want to sell them because I want another 2X10" Cabinet to use for my Double Bass. And I have an older F-2b preamp that I would like to get rid of for another Superfilter for my Double Bass. For me after playing through Bag End once...I was totally sold (aurally speaking). And I can move some air with any combination!!!!

I love the Bag End 15's.... It doesn't matter what head I've run through them, they always sound great. I know there are a bunch of guys here who use Bag Ends with their Alembics- very few go back once they play them.

Hey Keavin Man, That is a slammin' Alembic bro'!! Is that a long scale? How do all of those pots function? I've been a Bag Ender over 10 yrs now. I'm staying pat with that!! Keep up the low end! Peace!

Ok Pauldo, I'll get some more photos. As far as the build history, I asked Mica to Sleuth it's history and I'm still waiting. Additionally I have a few honorary basses I'm going to post due to the customizing that I had done by my friend Kenny Wittman.

Hey Keavin, You are correct on all three assumptions. It is a series I, Distillate body, and short Scale. I'm just waiting for Mica to get back to me on the type of woods that is was created from. Hopefully one day I can afford a 5 string series, another bag end 2x10, a superfilter, and QSC 2450 to complete my dream arsenal.

Charles, nice rig!! and nice bass too!!! the shop I work at has a QSC 2402 ( I think?) is that close enough for you? I also am curious about Bag End, as I've never encountered one myself (they must be allergic to Canadians...)I currently use a Gallien-Krueger 4x10 and a Verlage 15" w/ a Fane in it; as my old drummer said, my rig is '60's,70's, and '80's all in one...the head is an Acoustic 370...man, that is a pretty bass... Tony

Thank you very much Andrew! My axe sounds great. Alembic is the greatest maker of basses on the planet period. The mothership connection can put series in any bass that our/your heart(s) desire.But I really do need a compressor to even the sound of the notes. If any body out there knows of a compressor to reccomend please let me know.

The signal path is the path that the signal takes from the pickups to the speakers. In your case, it looks like you have the neck pickup going from the DS-5 to the SF-2, which appears to be running in parallel mono mode with the dry signal maxed and mixed with a good sized amount of low pass filter set fairly low with lots of Q. The second filter appears to be off. The bridge pickup goes directly to the F-1X, where the treble is maxed with the bright switch on, and the mid is cut significantly. I don't know what happens after that; my guess would be that SF-2 is going to one channel of the QSC, and the F-1X is going to the other.

Hey Dave! Ok, now I understand you.Yes I do have the bridge pickup connected to the F-1X with the treble maxed and the bright switch on also I have the High Frequency maxed out too that will pierce the hardest diamond. For some reason the picture that you saw I have the filter down on the right channel and I always have that up like the left side. In addition, I use a "Y" cord in the back of the Superfilter to use both sides to dial in really low thunderous earthshaking lows. With the two frequencies blended (or 3 if you count the other SF channel)the tones are utterly aurally satiating! I thank the genius of Mr. Wickersham and his family along with Stanley Clarke's playing this magnificent bass to help me find my voice! And thank you once again Dave in helping me find the build history of my axe. If I write to Mica (3rd time due to my stupitidy in not starting the question with the serial number)do you think that she would send the build papers to me? Thanks Dave!!! P.S. 7,929 posts by you?!....Excellent!!!

Hey Charlie nice setup!!!!! Beautiful bass i love my Distillate too. As for a compressor i'm using a old dbx 160 a with a kern pre, sf-2 , and a crown 2402 bumpin a hard trucker 2x15 and an ampeg 4x10 hlf and the dbx really evens things out string to string. Plus I just read Phil Lesh article in the last Bass Player, and had to give ritter swordsteel strings a try since they tout even volume between strings . They really do have an even string to string volume and a very nice feel with the custom gauges. Plus the sound is awesome with our electronics! .....Bear

Hey Bear, Thank you for the compliment! You gotta get some pictures to me bro'...I have that particular issue of Bass Player but have not had the chance to read it. I have always been afraid of losing tone and power with using a comppressor. So what do you think of that Drawmer MX30?

Hey Bear, I just wanted to tell you I picked up a Samson S-Com Stereo compressor 2 weeks ago. I'm very happy with it too. The compressor really pulled everything together and evened my sound out too. I should have bought a compressor long ago!

Cool! Paul, that must be your axe then oui? Keavin and Paul, how did you like the bag end cabinets and which type did you play through? I really wanted to be there but after playing the night before and packing my gear after the gig I was not done until 12:30 am, I couldn't make the drive there.

-Yes Charles - that is my Distillate being assaulted by Keavin. And he can have his way with it the next time we get together! :-)

I'm hoping Olie says musicianship - goodness knows Olie was laying down some incredible grooves, it was fun watching him - he would get a calm serene look on his face - all the while his fingers are just burning all over the bass.

I personally fell in love with the Bag Ends - they have incredible response, like Keavin said we played through all types of combinations and everything sounded GREAT! The speakers are a great match with an Alembic, as you dig in they responded seamlessly... for a further description of the 4 - 21's see my apology in the "Gatherings" section - I got really carried away with a low D.

Thanks! Question~ I have never heard the mono version of the Clarke Axe. Sound-wise, How does it differ from the series basses? For me I love the series basses because it seems like you have more options timbre-wise. Is that true? Or can you use a stereo "Y" cord for a signature bass and connect it to two amplifiers and dial in the same tones as the series basses?

Chalie, You'll get close, but the series pickups are single coil, while the AXY or MXY are humcancelling. I believe the filter circuits are much the same, (I don't believe the preamp circuits are the same, because the series instruments include the dummy pickup and hum balance controls)

There's no such thing as a bad sound from any of the instruments. Each is simply different in it's own right. A lot of people think that the signature is a boiled down version of the series pkg. Or that this is just a stepping stone till I get up the $$ for a series.I own both signature and series 2 electronics. Their is a distinct difference much more subtleties in the series and dead quiet.Dead,dead quiet perfect for studio work or lots of wattage. The space around the notes.... It's like looking at the stars in the suburbs for the signature pkg. and then looking at the stars in the country. It's just that much more.Each is very enjoyable and should be enjoyed for what it is. Two amps gets you more tone options and control etc. But it does not get you closer to a series.IMHO

Barry, I agree with you totally man. It would not be an Alembic if it were to sound "bad" anyway. Each type of wood has it's own timbre too, unique, beautiful to gaze upon and listen to!.....You'll have to school me as to what IMHO means though.

Hey Olie and Pauldo ! I really am humbled by all of your compliments! Hey Dave I appreciate the enlightenment for IMHO!! It is really such a joy being able to be in "the mix" now when I play in a band.I get a lot of compliments about that distillate! I have a kind and loving wife that bought me that Distillate for a christmas present! If I had never got that bass I would not have had the desire to build my rig.!!! Peace my Alembic Brothers!